Roger Daltrey

Arguably one of the most commanding singers in rock-n-roll history, Roger Daltrey delivered maximum power as frontman for Britain's legendary the Who, from their inception in the early 1960s through t...
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"The horrible shock of 9/11 shocked the world. And then (bandmate) John (Entwistle) dying the next year did make us realise, 'We're mortal'. If we believed in anything, it was the power of music bringing people together. If we're touring for anything, that's a good enough reason for me." The Who star Roger Daltrey doesn't need to dig too deep to find inspiration for stepping out onstage.

The Who's farewell tour will go on and on if singer Roger Daltrey gets his way, and could include a series of intimate acoustic shows and tracks from an as-yet unrecorded new album. The rocker and bandmate Pete Townshend have 54 shows booked for 2015 as they embark on what will be their final world trek, but he reveals there's no end in sight right now.
He tells Rolling Stone magazine, "If people want to add shows and we still feel great, then it will go for a while longer, but not that much longer. It might last two years.
"The shows are the joy. We do the shows for free. We get paid for the travelling and the schlepping. That's the gruelling bit. After 50 years on the road, with hit records, that's the bit that becomes lonely at times. We're away from our families. We're in a different bed every night, or every other night."
He adds, "I also know that Pete wants to make another record. He's just talking about it. I've heard a couple of tracks, which are great.
"There are loads of things we can do in the future, but we can't keep doing this sort of tour. This bit of our career is closed, but maybe two more doors open up. Pete is an incredibly vibrant musician. I could see us playing acoustically in some ways... Then you don't have to tour; you just get down in New York for a couple of weeks. That's not touring. It's a piece of cake. You go home every night. It would be civilised."

"I maintain my voice to the best of my ability. You just have to hope that your body holds up... My voice is fine... My vocal cords are better now than they've ever been! I'm actually enjoying playing. There's something about looking down the end of a telescope and seeing a potential end. It brings me more joy when I sing the songs because it might be the last time. I've always tried to sing as though I'm singing a song for the first time, now I sing it as though I'm singing the song for what might be the last time." Roger Daltrey on preparing for The Who's final tour.

"There's not enough anger out there in the music, and there's not a lot of contemplation in the lyrics; it's all very sweet... but that's the iPhone generation." The Who star Roger Daltrey wishes modern music stars had more to say.

The Who rocker Roger Daltrey has reunited the original stars of his first ever Teenage Cancer Trust show to perform again for the 15th anniversary of the fundraising concert series. Noel Gallagher, Paul Weller and Stereophonics frontman Kelly Jones joined Daltrey's band onstage for The Who and Friends gig in the British capital in 2000.
The original concept eventually became an annual concert series raising money for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and Daltrey has now brought back Gallagher, Weller and Jones to mark 15 years since the first gig.
Jones will kick off the shows with his band Stereophonics on 23 March (15), Weller will take to the stage with Johnny Marr on 27 March (15), and Gallagher will close out the series on 28 March (15), while other shows will be headlined by Van Morrison and The Who.
Daltrey says, "To be back for our 15th year at the Royal Albert Hall for Teenage Cancer Trust is an incredible achievement. This is all made possible by the loyalty of the music and comedy business. Paul, Noel and Kelly (from Stereophonics) were there for the first event, and many thereafter. I can't thank them enough for being back with us this year."
Jones has also expressed his delight to be back at the event 15 years after it all started.
He tells British radio station Absolute Radio's Breakfast Show host Christian O'Connell, "I played the first TCT gig 15 years ago. We all played together that night so this one is going to be the anniversary of the first one. We travelled in with Noel (Gallagher) and imagine we'll do the same again. It was a special night with some incredible memories."
Absolute Radio is the official radio partner for Teenage Cancer Trust at the Royal Albert Hall and will be broadcasting highlights from the 15th Anniversary shows.

Veteran punk star Bruno Wizard has joined a group of activists who are squatting in a fabled London music venue to protest against plans to develop the local area. The Who rockers Pete Townshend and Roger Daltrey are among the stars who have backed campaigns to save a number of Soho venues and music shops around Denmark Street which are under threat as part of a rejuvenation scheme.
Among the casualties of the redevelopment is 12 Bar, which closed last week (ends25Jan15), and was once a music venue where acts including Adele, Keane and KT Tunstall all appeared in the early days of their careers.
The building has now been taken over by activists who are demonstrating against the redevelopment of Soho, and members of the group, named Bohemians 4 Soho, were joined by veteran British punk star Wizard on Friday (23Jan15).
Wizard, who fronted The Rejects in the 1970s, gave a rousing talk to the squatters and led a brief singalong.
In video footage posted on YouTube.com, he is seen telling the group, "The spirit of everybody here, you all would have here in the 1970s... There's wonderful young lady (here)... who hitchhiked from Hungary when she heard on the Internet what was happening... It's incredible what's going on here. We're artists... The way to defeat these people is to know your enemy."
The group has appealed for bands and artists to back the movement by returning to the venue to play during the occupation, effectively reopening 12 Bar as a live music venue, but they are facing opposition from the developers who own the building.
The owners are currently battling to have the squatters removed from the site and they went to court to win an injunction banning the squatters from hosting any gigs or parties at the venue.

Joan Jett & The Blackhearts have signed up as the opening act for The Who when they embark on the next leg of their 50th anniversary tour in 2015. The My Generation hitmakers are set to bring their The Who Hits 50! tour to North America, and they've enlisted longtime friend Jett and her Blackhearts, who were named Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees on Tuesday (16Dec14).
Frontman Roger Daltrey announced the news in a statement which reads: "Having Joan Jett & the Blackhearts, a great American rock band, support us on our North American dates will ensure concert-goers a full night of entertainment. I love her."
Guitarist Pete Townshend adds, "We've been very close friends with Joan Jett for a long time. She is the real deal. This will be a great night of rock and roll for everyone."
The Who kicked of their anniversary tour in Glasgow in November (14), but recently had to axe the final gigs in Europe after Daltrey fell ill with a throat infection.
The British rockers' North American trek kicks off 15 April (15) in Tampa, Florida, and in between gigs on 18 April, Jett and her band will head to Cleveland, Ohio for the induction ceremony at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

Rock veterans The Who have postponed two gigs in London to allow frontman Roger Daltrey time to recover from a throat infection. The My Generation hitmakers were due to take their 50th anniversary tour to the O2 Arena on Wednesday (17Dec14) and Thursday (18Dec14) - their final U.K. dates of the year - but the shows have since been pulled due to illness.
A representative for The Who states: "On medical advice, singer Roger Daltrey has been ordered to rest his voice due to a throat infection.
"The band and their management wish to sincerely apologise to all ticket holders for the inconvenience and disappointment this has caused."
The pair of concerts will now take place in March (15), before The Who Hits 50! tour continues in North America in April (15).
The cancellation news comes six months after Daltrey sparked speculation the live shows would be their last after calling the trek "the beginning of the long goodbye".
The 70 year old added, "We can't go on touring forever... it could be open-ended, but it will have a finality to it. We'll stop touring before we stop playing."

The Who star Pete Townshend has stepped up his fight to save London's musical history by backing a campaign to preserve the city's iconic Tin Pan Alley.
The stretch of music shops on Denmark Street in central London, which has been a Mecca for stars since the 1950s, is under threat as the area is redeveloped as part of a new rail service link which is being installed nearby.
The fabled London Astoria music venue, which hosted artists including Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix, has already been demolished as part of the Crossrail project, and Townshend fears plans to redevelop nearby Denmark Street will contribute to the erasure of London's musical history.
In an open letter published in Britain's The Times newspaper, he writes, "To use this essential rail service as an excuse to change the funky and heart face of the Soho streets is wrong. The developers say they are not demolishing Denmark Street but it seems the street is being redeveloped. Shop space is being vastly reduced and rents will surely go up. These unique music shops could be priced out of existence in the wake of Crossrail. In the sixties I bought fuzz boxes and guitar strings from Macari's guitar shop. The Who did a backing vocal rehearsal with Shel Talmy at Regent Sounds in 1964."
Townshend's backing of the campaign to save Denmark Street comes just weeks after both he and his The Who bandmate Roger Daltrey signed another open letter urging London's mayor to protect music venues in the Soho district following the closure of a famous club called Madame Jojo's.

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Acted in "Forever Ambergris", an episode of HBO's "Tales From the Crypt"

Played Vlad to Talisa Soto's title character "Vampirella" (Showtime)

Played Scrooge in the annual NYC production of "A Christmas Carol"

Played recurring role of a burnt-out alcoholic rock star in the Showtime series "Rude Awakening"

Joined star-studded cast as the Tin Man in TNT's "The Wizard of Oz in Concert: Dreams Come True"

The Detours became the High Numbers and finally The Who, establishing themselves with violent stage shows that often ended with them destroying their equipment

Starred as England's Public Enemy Number 1 John McVicar in "McVicar"

Seen with The Who in "The Rolling Stones Rock and Roll Circus", recorded in 1968 but not released for 27 years

Reunited with The Who for an American tour, restaging "Tommy" in full (in celebration of its 20th anniversary as well as the 25th anniversary of the band); Fox broadcast tape of August performance in Los Angeles

Appeared in "Lightning Jack", starring Paul Hogan

Toured USA with a 60-piece orchestra performing hits by the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, the Who and other rock bands

Returned to the familiar themes of "The Beggar's Opera", playing the Street Singer in "Mack the Knife", Menahem Golan's feature adaptation of "The Threepenny Opera", which Bertolt Brecht and Kurt Weill had adapted from the John Gay opus

Released first solo album, "Daltrey"

Starred as Terry Clark in "Buddy's Song"

Critically acclaimed for his turn as the Dromio twins in "The Comedy of Errors" part of the BBC/PBS Shakespeare series

The Who's original drummer Keith Moon died of an overdose of the seditive Heminevrin, prescribed to curb his alcoholism

Proclaimed an "open-ended" sabbatical from The Who

Acted the role of an English priest who ingratiates himself to the inhabitants of a rough Chicago neighborhood in "Cold Justice"

Appeared in the NBC miniseries "The Magical Legend of the Leprechauns"

Acted in Richard Marquand's "The Legacy"

Executive producer for feature "Quadrophenia"; also music director

Had small role as an aging gay music executive in "Like It Is"

The Who's new lineup's reception marred when 11 concertgoers were killed--trampled to death or asphyxiated--in a rush for "festival seating" at Cincinnati's Riverfront Coliseum in December

Appeared with The Who in "Monterey Pop"

Provided the voice of Barnaby the Stableboy for HBO's animated special "Happy Birthday to You"

Appeared on "The Noel Edmunds Show", a British import shown in the USA for a week on ABC

Portrayed the highwayman MacHeath in Jonathan Miller's production of John Gay's "The Beggar's Opera" for BBC-TV

Played Blade in "If Looks Could Kill"

Summary

Arguably one of the most commanding singers in rock-n-roll history, Roger Daltrey delivered maximum power as frontman for Britain's legendary the Who, from their inception in the early 1960s through their rise to international fame with the albums <i>Tommy</i> (1962), <i>Who's Next</i> (1971) and <i>Who Are You</i> (1978) and subsequent reunions over a period of nearly five decades. His seemingly innocent appearance - compact, blonde-haired and blue-eyed amidst the darker figures of guitarist Pete Townshend, bassist John Entwhistle and gnomish drummer Keith Moon - belied his incredible vocal range, which reached from a blues-driven growl to an ear-shattering scream, as evidenced by his cathartic exclamation at the end of 1971's "Won't Get Fooled Again." His singing talents and undeniably masculine stage presence led to a string of acting roles, most notably as the titular hero in Ken Russell's adaptation of "Tommy" (1975) and as a determined bank robber in "McVicar" (1980). Daltrey began releasing solo records in 1973, but his work in that milieu never reached the heights of success he experienced as part of the Who. He rejoined Townshend and Entwhistle in 1989 to celebrate the band's 25th anniversary, which led to a string of subsequent reunion tours and a well-received album, <i>Endless Wire</i> (2006). Still astonishingly fit and firm of voice into his sixth decade, Roger Daltrey's enduring strength and charisma made him one of rock's most memorable frontmen.<p>Born March 1, 1944 in the Hammersmith neighborhood of London, England, Roger Harry Daltrey was one of three children by Harry and Irene Daltrey, who raised him and his two sisters in the district of Acton, where future bandmates Pete Townshend and John Entwhistle also lived. All three attended Actor County Grammar School for Boys, where Daltrey showed an aptitude for studies. But like so many of his fellow musicians, the discovery of Elvis Presley and rock-n-roll in general turned his attention away from academics. In the late 1950s, he joined a skiffle group, the Detours, which soon became regulars on the pub and working men's club circuits. Daltrey soon recruited Entwhistle and Townshend for the group, which initially included drummer Doug Sandom and singer Colin Dawson. Keith Moon, a manic young drummer for another local act called the Beachcombers, eventually replaced Sandom, while Dawson's departure promoted Daltrey to lead vocals. The Detours briefly changed their moniker to the High Numbers, a decision prompted by their then-manager, Peter Meaden, to appeal to the Mod movement.<p>The High Numbers released one single, "Zoot Suit/I'm the Face," which failed to generate any chart placement, before abandoning both Meaden and their new name in favor of filmmakers-turned-record producers Kit Lambert and Chris Stamp, who prompted their final name change to the Who. The group quickly gained a reputation for their explosive live performances, which were frequently capped by Townshend and Moon destroying their instruments, as well as gritty, R&B-driven songs like their first single, "I Can't Explain," "Anyway, Anyhow, Anywhere" and "Substitute." During this period, the band's leadership shifted away from Daltrey to Townshend, primarily due to the latter's songwriting ability, but also because Daltrey's preferred method of decision-making was to physically abuse his bandmates into siding with his opinion. In 1965, Daltrey was briefly ejected from the Who after assaulting Moon for providing drugs to Townshend and Entwhistle. Upon realizing that his only other means of supporting himself had come as a sheet metal worker during his early days with the Detours, he recanted, and settled comfortably into his role as the voice for Townshend's odes to teenaged anger and anxiety.<p>Initially, Daltrey was uncomfortable in his role as frontman for the Who. He had mastered the R&B and soul covers that made up the Detours and early Who set lists, but Townshend's original compositions, which bristled with kinetic energy on both a lyrical and instrumental level, left little room for smooth harmonies or modest deliveries. The Who's tour of North America in 1967, which included their star-making appearance at the Monterey International Pop Festival, introduced Daltrey to the rigors of playing large venues, where his voice would be drowned out by not only his bandmates' intense volume, but also the cavernous acoustics of music halls and outdoor festival stages. The following year, he debuted a more powerful, aggressive singing voice on "A Quick One While He's Away," the Who's nine-minute mini-opera, which he matched with a stage presence that frequently found him bare-chested, giving grand gestures while wielding his microphone on an extended cord like a bullwhip. In doing so, he helped to mint the "rock god" persona that found purchase in later singing idols like Jim Morrison and Robert Plant, as well as the many frontmen who drew inspiration from them.<p>By the early 1970s, the Who's widespread popularity spurred its individual members to begin exploring their own music as solo acts. Daltrey's first record outside of the Who camp came with 1973's <i>Daltrey</i>, which featured lyrics written largely by the then-unknown Leo Sayer. It generated a Top 5 U.K. single in "Giving it All Away," while the album itself broke into the Top 50 in the United States. Two years later, Daltrey was seemingly ubiquitous, reuniting with the Who for <i>The Who By Numbers</i> (1975) while also releasing his second solo effort, <i>Ride a Rock Horse</i> (1975) and making his debut as Townshend's deaf, dumb and blind hero in Ken Russell's surreal film version of the Who's <i>Tommy</i> (1975). He earned a Golden Globe nomination for his turn as the beatific would-be messiah, and reunited with Russell for the outrageous "Lisztomania" (1975), for which he also penned three songs with Yes keyboardist Rick Wakeman. But the foundation of his career with the Who had begun to erode.<p>Tension between Daltrey and Townshend had arisen after the singer found that Lambert and Stamp had made serious errors in the band's bookkeeping. The discovery led to actual physical violence between the two men, who only grew more distant after the death of drummer Keith Moon in 1978. Daltrey was vocally opposed to his replacement, the more sedate but workmanlike Kenney Jones of Small Faces fame. Daltrey directed his energy into his solo career, releasing <i>One of the Boys</i> in 1977 and producing "McVicar" (1980), a biopic which also featured the singer as British bank robber John McVicar. The film was a success, as was its soundtrack, which featured Townshend, Entwhistle and Jones, though performing separately and not as the Who. By 1982, Townshend announced that he was no longer able to write for the Who, and the group conducted a lengthy farewell tour before disbanding that same year.<p>Daltrey then focused on his acting and solo music careers, enjoying turns as Macheath in "The Beggar's Opera" (1983) and as Shakespeare's twin heroes in "The Comedy of Errors" (1983), both for the BBC. In 1985, he released <i>Under a Raging Moon</i>, which featured a Top 50 single in its title track, a Townshend-penned tribute to Keith Moon. In 1989, Daltrey, Townshend and Entwhistle reunited as the Who for a tour to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The reunion, which also featured a 20th anniversary tribute to "Tommy," re-ignited hopes that the band would continue to record after the tour had run its course, but after the band was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 1990, only Daltrey continued to support the Who brand through numerous solo concerts devoted to Townshend's music. In 1994, he celebrated his 50th birthday with a two-night stand at Carnegie Hall devoted to his bandmate and former group, which spawned a critically acclaimed but expensive tour that failed to recoup its costs due to hiring an orchestra at each venue. The following year, he took a decidedly different tack by playing the Tin Woodsman in an all-star charity production of "The Wizard of Oz."<p>During this period, Daltrey also maintained his own career as a solo artist, releasing <i>Rocks in the Head</i> (1992), which saw him step out on his own as a songwriter by penning seven of the album's tracks. Response to the album and subsequent releases were tepid, but Daltrey enjoyed frequent success as a guest performer on various projects, including the Chieftains' Grammy-winning <i>An Irish Evening: Live at the Grand Opera House</i> (1992). His acting career continued at a steady clip, though he was seen more frequently on American television shows like "Midnight Caller" (NBC, 1988-1991) and "Highlander: The Series" (syndicated, 1992-98) in a recurring role as a roguish immortal warrior. His affinity for period projects was underscored by his role as pirate William Dampier in "Pirate Tales" (1997), a docudrama series for The Discovery Channel.<P>In 1996, Daltrey reunited again with Townshend and Entwhistle in a 1996 production of <i>Quadrophenia</i> for the Prince's Trust concerts in London. The event featured an array of celebrity guest performers, including Pink Floyd's David Gilmour and Gary Glitter, who accidentally fractured Daltrey's eye socket while swinging a microphone stand. The singer recovered to complete the show, which generated enough attention to warrant a full-blown tour in support of the album from 1996 through 1997. For the next five years, the Who seemed in the midst of a comeback as a cohesive unit, touring in 1999 and 2000 before planning a farewell concert tour in 2002. However, Entwhistle's death in 2002 appeared to bring down the curtain on any future plans for the Who. Daltrey soon returned to acting, surprising many by providing the voice of a friendly dragon for the award-winning children's DVD "The Wheels on the Bus" (2003) and playing Alfred P. Doolittle in a production of "My Fair Lady" at the Hollywood Bowl that same year. The period was also marked by numerous accolades, including the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 2001 and Daltrey's appointment as Commander of the British Empire in 2004.<p>To the surprise of many, Daltrey and Townshend toured as the Who in 2004, which preceded <i>Endless Wire</i> (2006), the band's first new album in over two decades. It debuted at No. 7 on the <i>Billboard</i> albums chart and spawned a successful tour in 2006 and 2007. Following this success, Daltrey and Townshend were recipients of the Kennedy Center Honors in 2008, shortly before the singer again stepped into the solo spotlight for a 2009-2010 tour with his "No Plan B" band, which accompanied Eric Clapton for several large festival shows. The following year, he was back with Townshend to perform several Who songs at Super Bowl XLIV before the pair performed <i>Quadrophenia</i> at London's Royal Albert Hall for a show benefiting the Teenage Cancer Trust, a charity he was instrumental in launching in 2000. In 2011, he and Townshend inaugurated the Daltrey/Townshend Teen and Young Adult Cancer Programme at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center in Los Angeles, while Daltrey himself provided funding for the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's research into vocal chord repair for cancer victims. The latter subject was an issue close to Daltrey's own heart, having undergone surgery to remove possible pre-cancerous growths on his vocal chords in 2010. During this period, Daltrey was also active in attempting to launch a film based of the life of Keith Moon, which was to star Mike Myers but the production stalled. <p><i>By Paul Gaita</i>